Asking your employees for suggestions related to marketing is an excellent idea. You cannot rely only on your marketing team to do the job. You need diverse opinions, and it helps if you encourage other employees to contribute to the discussion.
It is also your chance to let the shy ones join the conversation. You might have employees with great ideas but who are unable to articulate them out loud. Therefore, you need to find a way to encourage them to speak and be heard.
Start with a private conversation
One of the reasons why your employees do not speak up is due to the fear of public speaking. Some others fear judgement if they make a mistake or if they choose the wrong words. You cannot force them to speak in front of others, but you can meet in private. Perhaps, the employee will feel confident talking to you when no one else is around.
Use other platforms to give ideas
Brainstorming sessions and meetings are not the only opportunities for employees to speak up. You also need to provide them with different avenues to say their thoughts. It could be through group messaging apps or social media. The objective is for you to extract ideas from the employees. People have opinions, but they differ in the manner of expression.
Avoid judgements
Another reason why some employees do not feel like they want to contribute to the discussion is that they fear that people will reject their ideas. You need to ensure that during a brainstorming session, you accept all ideas. You might not implement them all, but you should thank everyone who participated and contributed to the discussion. It could encourage shy employees to participate again the next time.
Acknowledge participation
To motivate these employees to participate again, you need to acknowledge their participation. Let them know that they have great ideas and you appreciate their thoughts. You can also give suggestions for improvement if it helps.
Give them a leadership role
When you push people to their limits, they have no choice but to step things up and do their part. It could happen to your employees who are usually followers, but you assign them to be leaders. For instance, if you are going to launch a new campaign involving promotional products, you can ask them to lead the team that will pitch the final idea. You can ask the employee privately first about your plans. Do not put someone in an awkward position, especially if it involves such a huge responsibility. You can also provide resources to help them as they begin planning. For promotional merchandise, www.fyldepm.co.uk is an excellent source of information.
Asking shy employees to speak up and step up might take time. You need to be patient in dealing with them. Let them know that you appreciate what they are doing. You might also give them incentives for a job well done. Give everyone at work this opportunity to lead and have their moment in the spotlight.
